The Walking Dead: Alone And Forsaken
by 087-B
Summary: After Rick Grimes wakes up on the side of the road, he realizes his so called friend Shane Walsh has left him for dead. It turns out a new group as taken him in to care for him until he had recovered. Now in this post-apocalyptic world, Rick must survive and take care of an entire group along with an unstable 18 year old that seems to know what he's doing. Will Rick survive?
1. Issue 1

**Omigosh, I'm not writing a crossover this time! Shocking! Well it is a rare moment indeed, it's still something I've been wanting to write for quite some time but have been to lazy to do so. That said, I hope you enjoy such a tale that is about to unfold.**

**This story takes place in the comic book universe of Image Comics' The Walking Dead. Instead of Officer Rick Grimes waking up in a hospital, he wakes up on the side of the road, and his partner Shane Walsh nowhere to be found, leaving him to die. This time he finds a new group of people, a camp that has some interesting survivors that he'll need to trust if he wants to survive. But will he? Only time will tell…**

**Note: Any characters that are similar to the actual comic series characters are purely coincidental.**

**Now, on with the show! **

_Issue 1: Days Gone Bye_

Rick Grimes awoke on the side of the road with a jolt. He barely remembered anything that happened, though he felt a pain in his shoulder. Looking down at it, he saw it covered in bloody bandages. A piece of paper was stuck to his pant leg by the use of tape. He took it off and examined it.

_Dear Rick,_

_Sorry I had to leave ya for dead, but it was getting too dangerous around here. I'll try and find ya as soon as I can. Don't worry about Lori and Carl, they're safe. I took them to a camp in Atlanta._

_Again, I'm Sorry_

_-Shane_

'That asshole.' Rick thought angrily, but he brushed it off, sighing heavily. 'As long as Lori and Carl are safe… I'm fine with that.'

Rick stood up and looked around. He remembered he was shot in the line of duty, but this definitely wasn't where he was shot. He noticed a cot nearby him. Was he… was he brought somewhere by someone?

"Oh, you're up." Rick noticed a teenage boy walking towards him. The boy looked to be about 18 years old, and he had somewhat messy black hair, a red tee-shirt with no sleeves, and a necklace that had a golden medallion at the bottom with a smile on it. The boy also wore cargo pants and boots.

"Who are you?" Rick asked. "Where am I? What's going on?"

"Whoa whoa, slow down with the questions." The teen said.

"Sorry," Rick said. "Who are you?"

"Name's Trace." The teen said. "Trace Oxford, and I'm the leader of my group over here." Trace pointed to a small camp made up of tents and one large RV nearby.

"Okay then, Trace. I'm Rick." Rick said. "How did I get here?"

"My dad found you on the side of the road." Trace said. "He told me there was still a heartbeat, so he took you with him back to camp."

"That's mighty fine of him." Rick said, giving a small smile. "Now why is there a camp out here?" 

"It's somewhere we can stay to fight off the hordes." Trace said.

"Hordes?" Rick asked.

"Wait, you don't know?" Trace asked.

"Don't know what?" Rick asked again.

"About the infection." Trace explained. "Some weird virus or bacteria or whatever is causing people to die and reanimate as zombies."

"Zombies? Hard to believe." Rick said.

"I ain't lying." Trace said, crossing his arms. "Besides, you'll be safer with our group than out there. Come on." He led Rick towards the camp. As soon as they got there, a young red-head girl, about 12 years old and wearing a flannel shirt and blue jeans and shoes, ran over to them, smiling.

"Trace! You're back!" The girl said, hugging Trace.

"Howdy, sis." Trace said, hugging the girl back. "Rick, this is my lil' sis, Sarah."

"Nice to meet you." Rick said, giving a small wave to the young girl.

"Sarah, this is Rick." Trace said. Sarah smiled and waved to Rick, then ran off to play. "She's one strong girl, that's for sure. I gotta keep her safe."

"It's good that you do." Rick said. A man walked over to them, this one having straight brown hair and some stubble, as well as an orange long-sleeve shirt and black jeans and boots.

"Ah, he woke up?" The man asked Trace.

"Yeah dad, he's part of us now." Trace said.

"How are ya, sir? Name's Lucas, Lucas Oxford." The man held out his hand and Rick firmly shook it.

"I'm Rick. Rick Grimes." Rick said.

"Well it's a pleasure to have you here, Rick." Lucas said, then he walked over to check on Sarah.

"So how many people are in your group?" Rick asked.

"As of now, we have 9 people, including me, my dad, and my sis." Trace said.

"Any more family?" Rick asked.

"Yeah, my mom's around here somewhere." Trace said. "She usually tries to keep this place clean and does most of the watch."

"Who else is here?" Rick asked.

"Let me show you around." Trace led Rick over to the other side of the RV, where a blonde haired teen in a black uniform with golden buttons and black jeans was hooking a ladder up to the back of the vehicle. He looked around 17-18 years old and had a cigarette in his mouth, a fake one.

"Huh? A new recruit?" The teen asked.

"Sachiel, this is Rick Grimes." Trace said. "He'll be a part of our group now."

"Nice." Sachiel said with a smile. "I gotta get back to work. Pete'll give me shit if I don't fix the ladder."

"What's wrong with it?" Rick asked.

"We crashed into a building on our group supply run." Sachiel said. "The ladder got damaged and now it won't hook on."

"Here, lemme have a look at it." Rick said, taking the ladder. He looked it over. "This thing's got screws missing all over the place." Sachiel smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah, I knew that." He snickered nervously. "I'm just… gonna go find some extra." He walked off into a nearby tent. A man in a white shirt with a black beard and comb over walked over and blue jeans and brown boots walked over.

"That boy's gonna get it tonight." The man said. "Overheard your conversation. Your name's Rick?"

"Yes sir." Rick answered.

"Name's Pete, nice to meet ya." The man held out his hand and Rick shook it. "My son should be around here somewhere…" He looked around.

"I'm right here." A teenager about 19 years old said as he walked over. He had a baseball cap and a beige shirt on, as well as black sweatpants and white shoes. He carried a brown paper bag filled with cans and other things.

"Ah, Nick, you just come back from a run?" Pete asked. Nick nodded. "What'd ya get?"

"I got a bunch of stuff." Nick said, looking through the bag. "Some cans of food, candy and coloring books for the kids, toilet paper for the RV, and some clothing."

"Great, that should keep us going for some time." Trace said. "Rick, this is Nick. Hey, that rhymes!"

"Nice to meet ya." Nick said, standing up and shaking Rick's hand. "Nick. Nick Logans."

"Rick Grimes, nice to meet you as well." Rick said. "Wait, you said kids, but I've only seen that girl Sarah. Who else is here?"

"We've got a kid named Carlos." Nick said.

"Carlos is head-over-heels in love with Sarah." Pete said. "He'll do anything for her. Sarah finds it flattering, but he's not really her type."

"Heh heh, that's kinda cute." Rick said.

"Yeah, but Sarah is starting to get annoyed by it." Nick said. "Well, we gotta get back to work. Pete has to wash the clothes and I gotta go on another run." He picked up the bag and walked over to the door of the RV. Nick opened the RV door, put the full bag inside, then picked up an empty bag and got into a nearby car and drove off toward the city.

"I'll see ya around, Rick." Pete said. "Glad to have you in this group." Then, he walked off.

"So who's left to meet?" Rick asked.

"Not many." Trace said. "Carlos should be around here somewhere."

"That him over there?" Rick pointed behind Trace, who turned around and saw a Hispanic boy around age 10 that was picking roses from a bush near the woods. The boy had short black hair, a salmon-colored tee-shirt on and was wearing black shorts and yellow shoes with blue laces.

"Yeah that's him." Trace said. "His dad went to jail two days before the outbreak."

"What for?" Rick asked.

"Framed for a crime he didn't commit." Trace said. "Pete found him the first few days in and saved him from a lurker. Then he took him in and, well… he's been here with us since then."

"Oh, is that another group member?" Rick asked.

"Huh? Who?" Trace turned and his eyes widened as a lurker stumbled towards Carlos from behind.

"I'll go introduce myself." Rick began walking forward but Trace stopped him and ran towards Carlos.

"Carlos! Behind you!" He yelled. He pulled out a small handgun and aimed it at the lurker, then pulled the trigger. The gunshot rang out as the bullet pierced its head, killing it instantly. It's dead body fell in front of Carlos, who screamed and ran towards Trace.

"Trace! It tried to get me!" Carlos hugged Trace tight, who returned the hug.

"I know, but you're okay now, boy." Trace said, reassuring the young child. "Now go find Sarah and make me a mud pie, okay?" Carlos smiled and nodded, then ran off.

"Damn, Trace. You handle kids well." Rick said.

"Well, when you're me and you have past experience, it ain't so hard." Trace said.

"Yeah, I bet, with you and your sister." Rick said.

"I once had a brother, but… he died in the early days of the outbreak." Trace said. He turned away and sniffled a little, tearing up. "Sorry, I don't wanna talk about it…"

"You don't have to." Rick said, patting Trace on the back. Trace wiped his eyes.

"Thanks, Rick." Trace said, smiling. "I'm gonna go check on my mud pie." He chuckled, then walked off towards the kids."

"Oh? A new member?" A woman in a blue shirt and blue pants with short brown hair walked forward. The woman appeared to be 37-38 years old.

"Ah, hello. I'm Rick, Rick Grimes." Rick said, shaking the woman's hand.

"Maria Oxford, a pleasure to meet you, Rick." The woman said.

"I've met your husband and kids. Quite a pleasure to see some life here." Rick said.

"Thank you, Rick." Maria said. "I try to keep them as safe as I can, though Trace does most of the work."

"I can see that. He's a strong kid." Rick said.

"He is indeed." Maria said. "Well, I'll be off." She then walked off toward her husband.

'I wonder if I'll ever see Lori and Carl again.' Rick thought to himself. He looked at the ground solemnly. 'Maybe someday… Maybe someday…'

:::::

The group members all piled into a cabin that was near the entrance of the woods. They sat around a candle-lit table that could fit all 9 of them. Trace stood up to make an announcement.

"Whose ready for some dinner?" He asked. The kids cheered, and the adults told them to keep quiet. "Bring out the dishes, Sachiel!"

Sachiel exited with two trays in his hands, 5 bowls on each of them, and steaming coming from the bowls. He set each of them down in front of the group members. Rick was the last to get a bowl, but when he did, he noticed something.

"Um, Sachiel?" Rick got the teens attention.

"Yes Mr. Grimes?" Sachiel asked.

"There's an extra bowl." Rick pointed out.

"That's for Elizabeth." Sachiel said.

"Who?" Rick asked.

"My girlfriend." Trace said. "She usually goes out with Nick on big supply runs, then comes back at dinner time."

"Oh." Rick said. He looked in the bowl. "What is it?"

"Soup." Trace said, taking some of it in a spoon and shoving it in his mouth. "About a third of our food stock is cans of soup. Hope that's alright with ya, Rick." Rick smiled.

"It's perfectly fine." He began eating it as well, and the cabin survivors chowed down on a delicious dinner, one of the best they had.

Then, the door opened, and a teenage girl about 17 years old with long blond hair, a white shirt and white jeans, as well as red shoes stepped inside of the room. She sat down at the empty spot which was right beside Trace. Trace smiled at her.

"Sup babe?" Trace gave her a soupy kiss on her cheek, which made her blush.

"You're so immature." The girl said playfully. She wiped her cheek and noticed Rick. "Who's this?"

"Elizabeth, this is Rick." Trace said. "Rick, my girlfriend Elizabeth."

"Nice to meet ya, ma'am." Rick said.

"Same." Elizabeth said.

"So, hon, what'd ya get on the run?" Trace asked as he ate more of his dinner.

"Nothing much." Elizabeth said. "Nick did most of the work anyways, grabbing a shit ton of cans and other stuff. And then a ton of lurkers piled in."

"Can't believe we got out without a scratch or bite." Nick said.

"What's wrong with that?" Rick asked.

"That's how you turn into a lurker." Trace said. "If one bites or scratches ya, you die in a matter of moments, or hours, maybe days even. Then you come back as one of them, and the only way to kill them is to destroy the brain before they reanimate or after they've been zombified."

"Oh." Rick said. "Was I bitten or scratched while I was out?"

"We didn't know whether you were or not." Lucas said. "That's why we left you in that cot on the side of the road away from the camp. Sorry about that."

"It's fine, I couldn't care less about it, anyway." Rick said.

"So, Mr. Rick, how'd you end up on the side of the road when my dad found you?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah Rick, how'd that happen?" Trace asked.

"I was a police officer before the outbreak, and I got shot in the line of duty." Rick explained. "My so called 'best friend', Shane Walsh, left me for dead on the side of the road."

"Damn, harsh." Carlos said.

"Watch your language, young man." Pete said sternly.

"You're not my dad, lay off, old man." Carlos said.

"That's it, you've lost gun training privileges for the next two days!" Pete said.

"But Pete, I gotta learn!" Carlos argued.

"Reminds me of my son." Rick said. "God I miss him and my wife…"

"Maybe we'll find them someday." Maria said. "For now, let's enjoy this meal. Not many survivors get to eat meals this big."

"Yeah, you're right Maria." Rick said, and he continued eating.

:::::

The next morning, Lucas woke Rick up early, bringing him to the side of the RV, where Trace was standing, holding an assault rifle.

"What do you guys need me for?" Rick asked while yawning and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"We're going hunting." Trace said. He handed Rick a shotgun.

"Why hunting?" Rick asked.

"Canned food will eventually run out." Lucas said. "Animal meat provides protein and health."

"Makes sense." Rick said. "What're we hunting?"

"Anything we can eat." Trace said. "Rabbits, deer, birds, etcetera."

"Alright then, let's go." Rick said. They went out into the woods, following a small gravel path. After many hours of walking and no luck finding animals, they started to make conversation.

"So, Rick, you ever been hunting?" Lucas asked.

"Not much, I went out with my son Carl once." Rick answered.

"Maybe we can find him someday." Trace said. "Right dad?"

"Who knows, son." Lucas said.

They all heard some rustling coming from the bushes. Lucas signaled for them to be quiet, and they ducked down behind a thick shrub. Looking out from behind it, the three survivors saw a deer not too far away. Trace raised his gun and aimed for it's head.

"Son, it's not the right time to shoot it." Lucas whispered.

"Dad, I can make the shot." Trace whispered.

"No you can't! It'll miss!" Lucas whispered angrily.

"Forget this, I'm taking the shot!" Trace was about to pull the trigger, but Lucas grabbed the gun, making him fire into the sky accidentally, scaring the deer away. "Dad! What the hell?!"

"Quiet son! Lurkers might come!" Lucas said.

"No, fuck that! I don't care!" Trace shouted angrily. "You never let me try to shoot anything! It's like you don't even trust me with a gun!"

"Shut the fuck up, son!" Lucas shouted back. "You gotta learn that we can't take too many risks like that! We can't waste ammo on missing shots!"

"How do you know that would've missed?!" Trace shouted. He shoved his father away, who in return punched him in the face, sending him to the ground. Lucas immediately realized what he did.

"Oh shit, son, I'm so sorry!" Luca said, kneeling beside his son who had a large bruise and gash in his left cheek.

"F-Fuck you, dad!" Trace managed to shout, his eyes filling with tears.

"I didn't mean-" Lucas was interrupted as a lurker snuck up on him, tackling him to the ground. "Oh SHIT!" Lucas struggled with the lurker, trying to shove it off.

"D-Dad!" Trace shouted, reaching for his handgun. As he did, another lurker pounced on him. "Oh f-fuck!"

Rick acted fast. He bashed the lurker on top of Lucas in the head with the back end of his gun, then did the same with the lurker on top of Trace, destroying their brains and killing them instantly.

"Oh G-G-God…" Trace stuttered, getting up, trembling. He leaned on Rick, who supported him. Lucas got up as well and tried to hug his son, but Trace pushed away.

"Son, I'm sorry." Lucas tried to say, but Trace ignored him.

"Let's get back to camp." Rick said, and they all trudged back to the campsite.

:::::

The three of them returned back to camp by mid-evening, as they were out for a long while, and Maria was tending to Trace inside of the RV.

"There you go, sweetie." Maria placed an alcohol covered bandage on Trace's bloody cheek, making him wince in pain. "Lucas, child abuse isn't right whether the law is around or not."

"I'm sorry, alright? I overreacted." Lucas said. He turned to Rick. "Thanks for the help and all."

"No problem." Rick said. "You sure you'll be alright?"

"Yeah, I'm sure we'll be fine." Lucas said.

"Hon, I think we should move the camp soon." Maria said.

"What?! We're fine right here!" Lucas said, disagreeing.

"Nick and Elizabeth came back from a run with bags so empty you could put three cities in them." Maria said. "The city is empty, we need to find some other place to go to survive."

"…fine." Luke stormed out of the RV, leaving the others.

"Rick, you were acting like a fatherly figure to Trace out there, keeping him supported." Maria said. "Thank you for that."

"No need to thank me, ma'am." Rick said. "I was only trying to get him back safely."

"Well, I think I can trust you for now, Rick." Maria said. She turned to Trace. "Now you just rest up and it should be healed in the morning."

"O-Okay, mom." Trace stuttered. He hugged his mother and trudged over to the couch to lay down.

"Rick, can you keep an eye on him during the night?" Maria asked.

"Sure thing, Mrs. Oxford." Rick said. Maria smiled at him before leaving the RV. Rick sat on the couch beside Trace.

"H-Hey, Rick?" Trace said.

"Yeah?" Rick asked.

"You're a nice guy." Trace said, giving a small smile. "Stay in the group as long as ya want." Then he fell asleep.

'Maybe I will, Trace.' Rick thought, falling asleep as well.

'Maybe I will…'

**-(End Of Chapter)-**

**Whew! Finally got this beginning chapter started! What do you guys think of all of these new characters? Again, if they seem to be similar to characters that already exist in the comics, it's purely a coincidence. Another thing I want to note is that Lori, Carl, Shane, and all the others will NOT be appearing in this story, and the plot will be VERY different than the comics plot because, well, Rick has a new group, so expect a LOT of new characters along the way, and a big new plot that shall unfold. I hope you enjoyed this starting chapter, reviews are highly appreciated, and as always…**

**Stay Tuned!**

**~087-B**


	2. Issue 2

**Hello everyone, 087-B here with a new issue of this ongoing story of Rick Grimes' new chance at surviving the zombie apocalypse. I hope you enjoy this one.**

**I figure since Trace is gonna be a main character, he's gonna need more character development, so in this issue, Rick is gonna teach him how to hunt and properly shoot a gun. Maybe it will go successful and they'll bring back food? Who knows.**

**Now, on with the show!**

_Issue 2 - Learn To Survive_

Rick woke up and noticed Trace leaning against him, still asleep. He smiled. For a teenager, he could still be very sweet. Probably his little sister, keeping him behaved and sane. His mother was sweet as well and kept him from getting out of hand. His father, however, was making an attempt and failing at controlling him, even getting violent. If anything, his father didn't seem to fit the role of-

"Ugh… Rick?" Trace slowly awoke, interrupting Rick's thoughts.

"Oh, hey." Rick looked at Trace as he rubbed sleep out of his eyes. His gash and bruise were almost completely gone. "Morning."

"Mornin'." Trace replied, now sitting up. "Man, I wish I could just go back to sleep but… nowadays, you can't sleep ever." Rick smiled at him.

"The way your dad acted yesterday…" Rick began. "Do you even know how to hunt?"

"What? Of course I do!" Trace said.

"Lemme rephrase that." Rick said, getting more serious. "Do you even know how to properly shoot a gun?" Trace was about to reply, but he stopped himself. He didn't know how.

"…no." Trace replied.

"There you go, that's the problem." Rick said. "If you don't know how to shoot, you don't know how to hunt."

"So you agree with my dad hurting me?" Trace asked.

"Hell no, your dad overreacted." Rick replied. "But today, I want to teach you how to hunt."

"I think my dad should teach me." Trace said.

"I don't think he'll do that anytime soon." Rick said. "Come on. Get up, get dressed, and grab that assault rifle of yours." He grabbed a black leather jacket he had found yesterday, put it on, and exited the RV.

"Oh, Rick, you're awake." Pete walked over to Rick, holding something in his hands.

"Morning, Pete." Rick greeted. "What's that in your hands?" Pete handed him a small red apple.

"Breakfast." Pete said. "Lucas told us we should conserve food in the mornings now."

"Thanks Pete." Rick took the apple and took a bite out of it. "I miss fresh fruit like this."

"Don't we all." Pete said, then he walked off back to the dining cabin.

"Ugh…" Trace rubbed his eyes again as he stepped out of the RV.

"Well, you ready boy?" Rick asked.

"Yep." Trace held up his assault rifle. Rick nodded, grabbed his shotgun, and the two went out into the woods.

"I know how to shoot." Trace said.

"A handgun. Not a shotgun or a rifle." Rick said. "There's a major difference, if you haven't noticed."

"I kinda realize that, Rick." Trace said. "So what do we hunt first? Rabbit? Deer?"

"We ain't hunting yet." Rick said. "First, you gotta know how to use that thing."

"Well what am I supposed to shoot then?" Trace asked.

"These." Rick brought out a bag and pulled out an empty can. "You're gonna learn to snipe." He set the can down on a stump and led Trace behind a shrub about 4 yards away.

"This distance seems close." Trace said. "Don't make this easy on me."

"I'm not." Rick said. Trace raised his gun up and pointed it toward the can. "Don't lock your elbows."

"Why not?" Trace asked.

"Being stiff ain't gonna help." Rick said. Trace loosened up.

"Now what?" He asked.

"Remember to keep it steady." Rick said, adjusting Trace's arms.

"Anything else I should know?" Trace asked.

"Hold your breath before you shoot." Rick said. "Only for a split second before you pull the trigger."

"How's that supposed to help?" Trace asked.

"Well, it helps me aim more accurately whenever I do it." Rick said. "Like I've said before, I was a police officer, so I know how to shoot a gun."

"Okay…" Trace took a breath, aimed the gun towards the can, then pulled the trigger. The bullet flew out of the gun and shot into the can, halving it and sending its top half flying. The kick of the gun sent Trace landing on the ground.

"Heh heh, maybe you aren't ready for a rifle." Rick said, chuckling. "But you did good, Trace."

"So am I ready to shoot something else?" Trace asked, getting up.

"Well, lemme show you something." Rick took the gun out of Trace's hand and reloaded it, then aimed it at a deer that had scampered by. He pulled the trigger and the bullet went through the head, sending its limp body to the ground.

"Whoa, good shot." Trace said, staring in awe.

"Well go get it, I just killed tonight's dinner." Rick said. Trace smirked and dashed over, grabbing the deer by its front and hind legs and pulled it up, hauling it over onto his back, struggling. Rick walked over and grabbed the deer's hind legs, with Trace holding the frontal legs.

"Damn, we got some good food for tonight." Trace said.

"C'mon, let's get back to camp." Rick said.

:::::

The walk back to camp wasn't long, only about an hour, and once the two made it back, they brought the deer into the dining cabin and set it on the table. Trace called Pete and his father Lucas inside, and their eyes widened at the deer.

"Trace, I said not to use the guns to hunt." Lucas said, glaring at his teenage son.

"I taught him how." Rick said, defending Trace. "I shot the deer anyways."

"Yeah dad. He showed me how." Trace said.

"Well what're we waitin' for? Let's gut this thing and chow down!" Pete said, smiling.

"Well, the bullet hit the head, so we'd have to decapitate it first." Rick said.

"The liver and a few other organs can be eaten, and if we mash them up, we can make a mighty fine meal." Lucas said.

"The only problem is convincing Carlos and Sarah to eat it." Pete said. They all chuckled.

"Carlos did something weird a few minutes earlier." Lucas said. "He covered himself in mud for Sarah, saying he'll do strange things for her."

"Carlos is love struck." Trace said, smirking. "Maybe they'll eventually get together."

"I doubt it." Pete said. "Anyways, I had to clean him up, but he's still treating me like crap, even though I saved his ass."

"This group is pretty ragtag, but that's what I like about it." Rick said. "So, Lucas, why didn't you-" The conversation was interrupted as they all heard screams outside. Trace looked out the window and his eyes widened.

"Oh shit! Sarah! Carlos!" Trace grabbed his handgun and ran out the door, followed by Rick, Lucas, and Pete. Outside, Sarah and Carlos were running from the woods as many lurkers emerged from the woods, chasing the two children.

"Shit, the gunshots must've attracted them!" Rick said. He reached into his pant pocket and found his colt python, the one he used the day of the roadside shooting before the apocalypse. He pulled it out and began shooting at the oncoming lurkers. Sarah tripped over a rock and landed on the ground, and a crawling lurker grabbed her ankle.

"AHHH! HELP ME!" Sarah screamed as she tried to get away, struggling.

"SARAH!" Carlos grabbed the handgun out of Trace's hands and began rapidly and randomly firing shots, hitting the ground around the lurker and the lurker itself, but not killing it, merely piercing its shoulder and side. Finally, one bullet pierced the lurker's head, killing it and saving Sarah, giving her time to escape.

'Oh thank god…' Trace thought, sighing in relief. He pulled out another handgun and handed it to Sarah, leaving himself unarmed, but Rick threw him his colt python to protect himself, and Rick himself took his shotgun, with Pete and Lucas taking assault rifles.

"Remember everyone! Aim for the head!" Trace said.

Lurkers stumbled out of the woods constantly in a seemingly endless wave. Carlos, although having terrible accuracy, managed to kill two lurkers that emerged, shooting them in the head. Sarah had impeccable accuracy, and she managed to kill a majority of the lurkers along with the others. However, another one snuck up on her and grabbed her legs, taking her to the ground.

"Shit, Sarah!" Trace pulled out a pocket knife and opened it, then tackled the lurker that grabbed Sarah, stabbing it in the head repeatedly, filled with rage.

"Die…you…fucking…piece…of…SHIT!" Trace yelled. Although it was already dead, he continued to stab its head. He didn't stop, and Lucas had to pull him away.

"Son! It's dead, boy, it's dead." Lucas said, holding Trace back. Trace took a breath, calming down.

"I-I know, dad. It's just… Sarah…" Trace looked over to his sister, who was unharmed. "I can't let anymore family die."

"I understand that, but you gotta learn to keep calm while killing these things." Lucas said.

"I hate to break up the conversation, but more of them are comin'!" Pete shouted. He fired another two rounds before hearing a clicking noise. "Fuck! I'm out!"

"Same here!" Carlos said.

"I'm out too!" Sarah called out.

"Fuck, out as well." Lucas said.

"The gun's jammed!" Trace said.

"I'm out…" Rick muttered. 'Now what?!'

Then, they heard a car heading toward them. The car stopped behind Rick, and they all turned to see it. Nick and Elizabeth stepped out from the backseat and Maria stepped out from the passenger seat, and a new person stepped out from the driver's seat, a woman. The woman appeared to be in her 40s and had short blond hair, a pink hoodie, blue jeans and brown hiking boots.

"C'mon, let's get these fuckers!" The woman said as she took out a small black revolver. The 3 others took out handguns and began shooting along with the woman, killing many of the lurkers that emerged from the woods. Once all of them were dead, all of the survivors regrouped, with Trace explaining everything that happened.

"Thank god everyone's okay." Maria said.

"Sorry we weren't here earlier." Nick said. "Maybe if we were, we could've helped."

"Well, it was good you showed up when you did." Pete said. "Now who the hell's this?" He pointed to the mysterious new female survivor.

"Name's Christie. Nice to meet you." The woman said.

"And she's here why?" Lucas asked.

"She saved our asses back in the city." Nick said.

"Well if you can pull your weight, you can stay with us for a while until you figure out what you want to do." Trace said, giving a small smile. Sarah turned to Carlos.

"Carlos, you saved my life today." Sarah said. "I'll never forget that."

"So does that mean…?" Carlos asked, getting excited. Sarah sighed, smiled, and rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I'll be your girlfriend." She said, giving Carlos a kiss on his cheek. Carlos hugged her tight.

"Aw, how cute." Christie said. "This place feels like a nice camp."

"Well we have plans on moving out soon." Maria said.

"We're staying here." Lucas said.

"Dad, you've seen what's happened to day, and it can happen again." Trace said. "We gotta go."

"I agree with Trace, Lucas. We gotta go sometime." Rick said.

"Thank you, Rick." Maria said.

"Stay out of this, Rick." Lucas said, glaring at him.

"I actually think that moving out would be a good idea, too." Christie said.

"But-" Lucas began, but noticed everyone was glaring at him. "Fine, I don't need this shit." Then he stormed off.

:::::

Another night came, and another dinner was had. Tonight, it was the deer. While the others ate their meal, Rick took Trace outside to talk with him.

"What do you need, Rick?" Trace asked.

"Your dad seems pretty overprotective." Rick said.

"Yeah, I know, but…" Trace stopped.

"What is it?" Rick asked.

"…ever since my brother died, he's been determined on keeping me, Sarah, and my mom alive." Trace explained. "So he never wants any of us taking risks unless its our only option. I mean, I had to beg him to let me keep my handgun."

"Well, I'll try and talk to him." Rick said. "Meanwhile, I don't know why I never asked this, but what city did Nick and Elizabeth go to anyway?"

"Macon." Trace answered. "If you were thinking we left Georgia, you're dead wrong."

"Then tomorrow, you and I are going out on a supply run." Rick said. "I'm gonna teach you how to survive the cities."

"But you've only known about this infection for two days." Trace said. "How can you teach me?"

"We'll just go along with Nick and Elizabeth, then." Rick said. "We learn from them."

"Oh, okay then." Trace said. Rick turned to go back inside. "Wait, Rick."

"Yeah?" Rick asked, turning back around. Trace held out the colt python.

"Technically, its yours, so… Yeah." Trace said. Rick took the gun and put it away. "Anyways, I still gotta try and take my handgun back from Carlos. That boy ain't gonna give it up without a fight…" Trace went back inside.

'That boy is smart.' Rick thought. 'His father, though…' He shrugged off the thought and went back inside the cabin. Once he did, he looked around at all of the survivors. They all seemed so happy, so glad to be with each other…

'If they ever died… people would be in tears.' Rick thought. 'And just the thought of it…' His thoughts were interrupted as Christie approached him.

"Ah, you're Rick, right?" She asked.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Officer Rick Grimes." Rick said, holding out his hand. Christie firmly shook it.

"Christie Torres." Christie said. "I heard about your wife and son. I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"Thanks, that means a lot." Rick replied. Christie smiled at him, then went back over to her seat and began eating.

"So Christie," Pete began, looking up from his meal. "Where're ya from?"

"I come from Oregon." Christie said. "I came down to Georgia to visit my sister but we got separated during the outbreak."

"People seem to get separated from family a lot nowadays." Elizabeth said. "Carlos got separated from his dad, Rick got separated from his wife and kid, and now you and your sister…"

"Wait a second, someone's missing." Trace said. "Where the hell is Sachiel?"

"Last time I saw him, he was asleep inside his tent." Pete said. "Lemme go wake that kid." He got up and left the cabin.

"Well, I'm turning in for the night." Rick said, getting up.

"Me too." Trace said, standing up as well.

"Trace, you've trusted Rick a lot, even though he's only been here for two days." Nick said. "Why is that?"

"I… I don't know." Trace replied. Then he left the cabin.

"He's a good kid." Rick said. He turned to Lucas and Maria. "You two raised him well." Then he exited the cabin as well.

When Rick entered the RV, Trace was already fast asleep in the bottom bunk, his arm dangling over the side. He was already drooling on a pillow. Rick smiled and climbed onto the bunk above him, falling asleep as well.

Tomorrow would be a big day.

**-(End Of Chapter)-**

**A new character introduced, development in Trace, a relationship between Carlos and Sarah, the bond between Trace and Lucas strains-*takes a breath*-so much STUFF! I'll try to update this whenever I can, but It takes a while to write each issue. Fun fact, Christie was supposed to appear WAY LATER in the story (around Issue 40) but for the sake of the plot I added her in this issue. Heck, at one point, I was considering making her an antagonist, but I decided against it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, reviews are highly appreciate, and as always…**

**Stay Tuned!**

**~087-B**


	3. Issue 3

**Hello everyone, 087-B here, I'm back with another issue of this story. In the last issue, stuff happened, in this issue, stuff WILL happen. Let's read on…**

**In this issue, Rick and Trace are gonna learn how to do a supply run in the city. Which city? Macon, Georgia, of course. I wonder if they'll meet a familiar group with a leader protecting a girl, a redneck protecting his family, and others…? Nope, they won't. There won't be any events or characters from TellTale's game in this story whatsoever. Why? Cause the comic series takes place in the same world as the video game… But this universe is different. So yeah, Glenn HAS a chance of showing up… but he won't.**

**Now, on with the show!**

_Issue 3 - Today We Go_

Another morning, another struggle at waking up, and another small breakfast meant to ration food… actually, it wasn't. The breakfast today was bigger, a more family like breakfast, as Nick, Elizabeth, Maria, and Christie did not return empty handed from the run the previous day, coming home with food that would be a natural breakfast.

"You won't believe what we found on the last run, Rick." Nick said to Rick as they walked toward the dining cabin. "We got waffles, syrup, bread, eggs even, all preserved."

"Shut the hell up!" Rick said as they both chuckled. "You did NOT find that!"

"Hell yeah we found that!" Nick said. He walked ahead of Rick and went inside. Rick was about to enter but Lucas stopped him.

"What is it, Lucas?" Rick asked.

"I want you to stay away from my boy." Lucas said sternly.

"You gotta stop being overprotective over him." Rick said, his eyes narrowing. "He can handle himself."

"Oh yeah? How do you know that?" Lucas said. "Listen, he's my child, so he does what I say, understand?"

Rick didn't respond, he simply walked inside of the dining cabin. As soon as he walked in, he heard Trace's voice.

"Rick! Over here!" Trace pointed to the empty seat next to him, and Rick walked over and sat down in it.

"You seem so eager to sit with me." Rick said. "Why is that?"

"I don't know." Trace said. "Anyways, let's just eat." He slid a plate in front of Rick, filled with breakfast foods.

"God I miss these kinds of breakfasts." Rick said. "Don't you Trace?" Trace rapidly shoved forkfulls of food in his mouth and simply nodded to Rick, then continued eating. "So Nick, can me and Trace join you on a run?" Lucas dropped his fork.

"Absolutely not." He said sternly. "My boy does not need to experience such things like a supply run."

"Lucas, you need to let Trace learn these things." Maria said. "If he doesn't, he'll die."

"He won't die!" Lucas said.

"Well what if he's surrounded?" Rick asked.

"I'll save him." Lucas said.

"But if you already died?" Rick said. "If he doesn't learn how to survive, he won't survive." Lucas muttered something angrily, then returned to his breakfast.

"So anyway, can we come along?" Rick asked Nick.

"Yeah sure." Nick said.

"Awesome! We'll be the best foursome!" Elizabeth said.

"Sorry Elizabeth. Total of three only." Nick said. "It's safer that way."

"Oh, alright." Elizabeth said. "I guess I could take a break from going on runs."

"So when do we head out?" Trace asked.

"In a few hours." Nick answered. "I gotta teach you to jump roofs and about what to grab."

"No way! My son is NOT jumping roofs!" Lucas yelled. "What if he falls?! He'll have broken legs, and in a few minutes, his organs all over the place and a bite wound in his neck!"

"He won't, I'll protect him." Rick said. "I promise we'll return here together, alive and in one piece."

:::::

About three hours later, Nick, Rick, and Trace piled into a car with Nick driving and Rick and Trace in the back seats. Nick started it up and drove off toward Macon.

"Remember, aim for canned foods and preserved foods, gasoline, boxes of unused ammunition for the guns, medicine, and canteens, hopefully fresh water inside." Nick said. "You guys got that?"

"Yep." Rick said.

"I understand." Trace said. "What else should we try and get?"

"Maybe oil for oil lamps, matches, candles, general light sources… If we could get a generator, that'd be great." Nick said.

"Alright then, sounds simple." Rick said.

"Oh, believe me, these runs are more fun than dangerous." Nick said.

They pulled into Macon and Nick drove into an alleyway to hide the car. Once they got out, they looked up and down the streets. Not a single lurker in sight. Hopefully it would stay that way the entire run so they wouldn't have to waste any ammo.

"Just in case a horde shows up, we better start roof hopping to get around." Nick said. He climbed a nearby ladder that was connected to a nearly collapsed brick building. Rick and Trace started climbing as well. Once they reached the top, they walked around on the roof top.

"Nice breeze today." Nick said. "Get ready for a rush."

"Wait, what?" Trace asked. Nick dashed towards the edge of the building, then thrust his legs forward, leaping into the air and landing on the adjacent building, tumbling over. The landing was obviously not perfect. He stood up and wiped some dust off of his jeans.

"You comin' or what?" Nick called over. Rick's eyes widened as he grinned.

"Hell yeah!" He ran forward, then leaped over the edge onto the adjacent building. "Whew! I haven't felt a rush like that in a while!"

"Trace! Get over here!" Nick called out.

"Um… Nah, I think I'll just enjoy the view from here!" Trace called out, smiling sheepishly.

"You afraid of heights?" Rick asked. Trace reluctantly nodded his head. Rick held out his arms. "Don't worry, just jump. I gotcha."

"…you sure?" Trace asked.

"I'm sure." Rick said as he nodded. Trace hesitated, but he shut his eyes and ran forward. However, with his eyes shut, he didn't jump at the right time and his foot slipped off the edge, sending him plummeting down towards his doom.

"AHH!" Trace flailed as he fell but Rick grabbed his wrist, letting him dangle in the air. He pulled him up and Trace hugged Rick, trembling.

"It's alright Trace. You're okay." Rick said.

"I-I almost d-died…" Trace stuttered in his speech.

"I don't mean to spoil this moment, but how are we gonna keep quiet if he keeps crying and snotting all the way?" Nick asked. "It'll attract lurkers, what with the noise and all."

"Yeah, you're right…" Rick said. "He can hang onto me when I jump."

"You sure that'll work?" Nick asked.

"What could go wrong?" Rick asked mockingly.

Trace wrapped his arms around Rick's waist, then Rick jumped from building to building along with Nick. He constantly looked down as Rick jumped, thinking of the possibility of falling and dieing. After jumping a few more buildings, Nick got one building ahead of them. Rick jumped to the next building, but as soon as he landed, the building rumbled a little.

"What's happening?!" Trace clung to Rick as the roof collapsed, sending them falling into the building. "AHH!"

"Trace, calm down!" Rick said sternly.

"WE'RE DEAD! WE'RE GONNA DIE!" Trace continued to wail as they fell. Once they landed, Rick looked at Trace's tear streaked face. "W-We lived?"

"Calm down Trace, we're fine." Rick pulled Trace into a hug. Immediately, he was reminded of Carl and how he had a fear of heights as well. "Everything's okay, we just gotta find a way outta here."

"Okay…" Trace said, sniffling a little, then wiping his eyes.

"You just sit and wait, I'll look around for anything useful, okay?" Rick directed Trace to a floor cushion nearby that sat against a wall. Trace sat down on it and sniffled again. "You just wait here."

"Alright, Rick." Trace muttered.

Rick walked into a room that appeared to be an apartment bedroom, one for a child. The TV was smashed and the bed was dirty and covered in blood. Rick looked through piles of stuff before finding something interesting. He grabbed it and left the room.

"Hey Trace." Rick said. Trace looked up.

"Yeah Rick?" He asked. Rick held up a gray rectangular box with a monochrome screen on it, along with a directional pad and two buttons, one marked A and one marked B.

"I found something for ya." Rick brought it over to him.

"A Gameboy?" Trace asked. "Does this even work?"

"You tell me." Rick said with a small smile. Trace stared at the screen, then flicked the power switch up. It took a moment but the screen flashed, showing a logo that read Nintendo on it. Trace smiled.

"Wow, thanks Rick." He said. "This is awesome, it means a lot."

"Well if you're happy, I'm happy." Rick said.

"Maybe there are games for it in that room?" Trace suggested, standing up and walking in to the room. Moments later, he exited with a small bag filled with unknown contents, a smile on his face.

"What'd ya find?" Rick asked.

"Games, extra batteries, and a charger." Trace answered. "I'll never get rid of this thing. I'll keep it as a memento."

"And for your entertainment." Rick said. Trace chuckled.

"Yeah, that too."

:::::

After searching a little more, the two came across an exit. They climbed onto what remained of the roof and leaped over to the building Nick stood on.

"You guys okay?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, we're fine." Rick said.

"And you Trace?" Nick asked. Trace didn't respond. "Um, Trace?"

"Hang on, hang on…" Trace was focused on his electronic appliance more than the conversation.

"Save the battery, Trace." Rick said. "Who knows when it'll run out."

"Right, right." Trace said, shutting the device off and placing it in his pocket.

"Where the hell did you find a Gameboy?" Nick asked.

"Is that really important?" Rick asked.

"I guess not." Nick said. "Now I saw a mini-mart down there. Wanna hit it up?"

"Why not?" Rick said.

The three climbed down from that building onto the streets. Luckily, the streets were still void of any lurkers, and the mini-mart was right across from them. They dashed over and hopped through a broken window to get inside, then hid behind an overturned shelf.

"See any lurkers?" Nick whispered. Rick raised his head to look.

"Nope." He whispered.

"Good." Nick said standing up. He pulled out a flashlight and turned it on. "Oh yeah, try and find extra flashlights and batteries, too. Those will be useful." He walked over to a shelf rack and began looking through it.

"Trace, let's go check behind the counter." Rick said, walking toward the still standing counter. Trace followed. They hopped the counter and bent down to look inside the built in shelves, the ones that would usually hold tools the employees would use to fix things in the store.

"See anything useful?" Trace asked.

"Not sure…" Rick continued to look through the shelves. "Why don't you start looking? You aren't gonna learn how to do runs if you just follow me around doing nothing."

"Fine, fine." Trace walked off and around a corner, then he saw three doors.

One of the doors led to a men's restroom, another of the doors led to a woman's restroom, and the last one… Trace didn't know where it went. He opened it and was faced with a long, dark stairwell, and the darkness only allowed him to see three steps down and part of the fourth step.

"Just my fucking luck…" Trace muttered.

He stepped onto the first step. It creaked loudly, making him nearly jump. He took another step. Another creak. Step. Creak. Step. Creak. Step. Creak. Step. Creak. This continued for a while as he went down until he reached a landing. He sighed in relief upon stepping onto it, feeling a sense of safety.

"Thank god…" Trace's eyes widened as he heard a small sliding sound from further down, then a clattering of metal before hearing a large door shut. He trembled in fear. "This place is like a damn haunted house…" He brushed off the thought. "It's just paranoia, Trace, it's just paranoia… These sounds are in your mind…"

Trace continued down another set of stairs that rounded the corner from the landing. What kind of basement was this?! By this point, he couldn't see shit. He could barely see the step in front of him, even when he bent down to make sure he was still going down.

"Just keep going down, just keep going down, just keep-" Trace was interrupted as one step crumbled beneath him, sending him falling down the stairs and landing on the ground with a thud. "Ow…" Trace tried getting up but fell again, wincing in pain. He then grabbed his ankle. "Shit, that hurts!"

Trace heard moaning and a dragging sound. Looking around, he could make out the figures of lurkers, dragging their bodies across the ground in the darkness. Eyes widening, Trace tried to stand up again but fell.

'Oh shit, I'm gonna die!' Trace thought. "RICK! HELP!"

Trace didn't hear any steps coming toward him, or Rick's voice even. He tried dragging himself away but he lurkers grabbed onto his arms and legs. Trace screamed as the lurkers swarmed around him, and just when he thought he was dead…

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

Bullets pierced the heads of the lurkers, killing them all except for one. One lurker crawled up Trace's body as was about to bite into his neck when a hatchet chopped into the back of its head, killing it. Trace looked up, wiping lurker blood out of his eyes. Rick stood there, ripping the hatchet out of the back of the lurkers head.

"Rick!" Trace said as Rick helped him up.

"We should probably get out of this city." Rick said. "You okay?"

"I think my ankle is sprain." Trace said. "Other than that, I'm perfectly fine."

"Well then let's find Nick and get back to the camp." Rick said.

:::::

The car pulled into the camp at high noon as Nick, Rick and Trace stepped out of it. The survivors were surprised to see Trace limping and Rick supporting him. Lucas walked over angrily.

"See? He got hurt on this run! It's too dangerous!" He said.

"Dad, I just sprained my ankle." Trace said. "I'm okay."

"…alright, we better put some ice on it to keep it from swelling to much." Lucas said, calming down a bit. "But until it heals, you are staying in this camp. Understand?"

"Yeah dad, I get it." Trace said, limping off to the RV with Maria following.

"So what did you guys get?" Lucas asked.

"We got food, batteries for flashlights, some ammo…" Nick said, looking through his stuff. "I found some candy for the kids and coloring books for them too. Gotta keep them entertained."

"Nice." Lucas said, showing a small smile. Then he walked off to check on the kids.

"What kind of food did you get?" Sachiel asked.

"Why do you seem so interested?" Rick asked.

"I used to work at a diner before all of this." Sachiel answered. "I can make a masterpiece if you really want me to."

"Well you and Nick can unload it in the dining cabin." Rick said. Sachiel nodded and he and Nick walked off toward the dining cabin.

"Hey Rick, can you help me?" Christie called over to Rick from the RV. Rick jogged over.

"Yeah Christie?" Rick asked.

"Maria said we have to start packing up." Christie said. "We're gonna be heading out soon."

"Alright. What should I help out with?" Rick asked.

"We already have most of the things ready, so if you could get the kids packed up, that'd be great." Christie said, then she walked back inside the RV. Rick saw Carlos and Sarah over by the tents.

"How're you two love birds doing?" Rick asked jokingly as he walked over.

"We're doing fine, Mr. Rick." Sarah said.

"We did target practicing today!" Carlos said happily. "Now we're ready to shoot guns!"

"You're ready to, Carlos." Sarah said. "I can already shoot a gun."

"We gotta start packing up." Rick said. "The camp will be on the road soon, so let's get rolling."

"Do we have to leave anything behind?" Carlos asked.

"Nope, you two can grab what you want to bring and hop in the RV." Rick said. The kids smiled and packed all of their things into the RV, then sat inside.

Sachiel, Nick, and Pete came out of the dining cabin with bags of food and other objects. They piled into Nick's car with Nick in the driver's seat. He started it up and backed out into the street, allowing room for the RV to move. Rick took one last look around the camp. Everything was pretty much packed up and ready to go, Sachiel, Pete, and Nick were in Nick's car, and Trace, Maria, Lucas, Sarah, Carlos, Elizabeth, and Christie were piled inside the RV. The tents were packed in the trunk of Nick's car and all of the bags filled the RV. Rick smiled and walked inside the RV, then closed the door as the vehicle started up. Rick took a seat next to Trace as the RV backed out into the road and drove off with Nick's car following close behind it.

"So where are we going?" Rick asked.

"Mom has her eyes set on Atlanta." Trace said. "She says the CDC there is a safe zone that survivors can go to if they need help or somewhere to stay."

"Well that sounds like a good place to go." Rick said.

"Yeah, but dad doesn't want to go there." Sarah said. "He says that staying back at the camp would've been better for us."

"Considering that we were attacked by lurkers two days in a row, it's best we move out." Rick said.

"Do you think we'll be safe at the CDC Rick?" Carlos asked.

"Yeah, what do you think, Rick?" Sarah asked.

"You know, I'm thinking the same thing." Trace said. "What do you think, Rick?"

"Well, to be honest…" Rick began.

"I don't know."

**-(End Of Chapter)-**

**Not too much stuff happened this issue but it was nice to see Trace slowly begin to develop along with Rick, strengthening their bond. Heck, we even learned Trace has a fear of heights! Zombie apocalypse or not, fears are still prominent in some people. At least he has a Gameboy for entertainment… What? I'm only using logic: Gameboy batteries last a while, so finding one that was still intact with a battery makes it playable. I bet some readers want to see characters like Carl, Dale, and Shane, and you are. You've already seen them. Trace represents an older version of Carl, one who is still adapting to this world. Ironically, Carl looked to Rick more than Shane as a father, whereas Trace looks to Rick more than Lucas as a father, so it's the opposite in a way (as in Carl looks toward his father instead of the friend, but Trace looks toward the friend instead of his father). Pete is the moral compass of the group like Dale was, and he can be happy, he can be serious, and he can be protective, but most importantly, he can be wise. And Shane… you guess! Also, I wanted Rick to play a fatherly role in this chapter towards Trace as, well, his bond with Lucas is straining severely, so he needs someone to look up to. Did I do good with that? I hope you enjoyed this chapter, reviews are highly appreciated, and as always….**

**Stay Tuned!**

**~087-B**


	4. Issue 4

**Hello everyone, 087-B here, bringing you the fourth issue of The Walking Dead: Alone And Forsaken. In the previous issue, Rick and Trace went out to the city of Macon, Georgia, on their first supply run along with Nick. Trace admitted he had a fear of heights, then he sprained his ankle and Rick had to save him, and then the group of survivors packed up and moved on from the campsite they stayed at for who knows how long.**

**In this issue, the group heads toward the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia to hopefully find a safe place they can live in. Will they make it? If they do, will it be safe? If it isn't will they make it out alive and in one piece? These answers will come as time progresses forward…**

**Now, on with the show!**

_Issue 4 - Long Road Ahead_

Night rolled around as the RV drove down the road with Nick's car following behind it. Trace was still awake, an ice pack resting on his ankle. He played his Gameboy most of the night with Carlos watching in fascination. Sarah was eating some candy and was playing a game with Rick.

"I spy… something orange." Sarah said.

"Your hair?" Rick asked jokingly. Sarah smiled.

"Yep." She said. "Your turn."

"Lemme see…" Rick looked around. "I spy… something dorky."

"My brother?" Sarah asked jokingly.

"Bingo." Rick said. The two chuckled. Trace rolled his eyes.

"Oh, ha ha, very funny." He said annoyed.

"We're just kidding around, Trace." Rick said.

"Whatever…" Trace muttered, returning to his game.

"What're you even playing?" Sarah asked.

"Super Mario Land." Trace answered. "Playing video games really takes your mind off of the apocalypse."

"Don't call it the apocalypse." Carlos said. "There's still hope that things will go back to normal."

"…yeah…yeah, you're right, Carlos." Trace said, smiling at him. "There's still some hope left in the world. Now it's getting late, so you go get some rest, okay?"

"Okay Trace." Carlos said smiling. Then he ran off toward the back of the RV.

"So Trace, I've heard that Carlos' dad went to jail before all this?" Rick asked.

"Yep, Winchester Manor Prison." Trace said.

"Where's that?" Rick asked. Trace shrugged.

"No clue." He said. "He's probably dead though."

"What about his mom?" Rick asked.

"She used to be a part of our group." Trace said. "Her name was Consuela."

"Did she die?" Rick asked.

"Nope. We got attacked by lurkers one day and then she just ran off into the woods." Trace answered. "And thus her fate is left unknown." He returned to his game.

"Carlos' dad's name was Roberto." Sarah said. "I saw his trial on the news before the outbreak."

"Okay you two." Lucas said, walking back to see the kids. "Time for bed. Get changed and head into the back."

"Alright, dad." Sarah said. She grabbed some clothes out of a box and walked into a small bathroom in the RV.

"Dad, I don't wanna sleep." Trace said.

"Oh really?" Lucas asked sarcastically. "Well…" He slowly walked over to Trace. "How about… NOW!" He grabbed his son and affectionately tickled his stomach, making him laugh and struggle. Rick smiled.

'Good to see those two getting along again.' He thought. Trace pushed away and landed on the ground, still snickering.

"Now you gonna sleep?" Lucas asked smiling. Trace got up and nodded, then walked off to the back.

"You know Trace ain't like any teenager I've seen." Rick said. "Usually on TV teens would be snot-nosed brats that would try and act cool."

"Well I raised him right." Lucas said.

"He's the kind of teenager you'd actually WANT to raise." Rick said. "He's got a fear of heights, he doesn't talk shit, he learns easily, and he's willing to help out almost all the time. He's just like a little kid, easy to raise and fun to be around."

"Yep, you're right. Just how I like him." Lucas said. "You know, I think this is the first time we've ever actually agreed on something."

"You're right, Lucas." Rick said.

"Now you get some sleep." Lucas said. "Tomorrow, we're stopping and making a hunting trip." He went back up to take night watch on the road while Maria continued to drive. As soon as Rick began to drift off to sleep, Trace snuck over from the back and sat down next to Rick, falling asleep as well.

:::::

The morning arrived with the RV parked near the entrance to a forest. Nick pulled his car in to the small clearing. Rick and Lucas exited the RV, Rick carrying his shotgun and Lucas carrying his assault rifle. Sachiel stepped out of Nick's car carrying a hunting rifle.

"You joining us, Sachiel?" Rick asked.

"I haven't shot anything in a bit." Sachiel said. "My firearm could use a good work out."

"Your gun looks fine." Lucas said.

"Not that kind of gun." Sachiel said, smirking. The three chuckled. Trace stepped out of the RV, yawning.

"Nope, get back inside." Lucas said, noticing Trace exiting.

"Lay off, Lucas." Rick said. "He's gotta improve himself."

"Shut up, Rick. Don't make me mad." Lucas said.

"Relax, I'm not hunting today." Trace said.

"Then what're you doing out here?" Lucas asked.

"Mom said I need to do vehicle watch." Trace answered, climbing the ladder on the back of the RV. Once he was on top, he sat down and took out his handgun.

"Okay then." Lucas said, then he, Rick, and Sachiel went off into the woods. Once they were gone, Trace set down his gun and took out his Gameboy. Carlos and Sarah appeared on top of the RV next to him.

"Hey you two." Trace said smiling. "What're you guys up to?"

"We're bored." Sarah said.

"We want you to play with us." Carlos said.

"I can't right now, I have to stay here on watch." Trace said.

"Please?" Sarah put on a pair of 'sad puppy' eyes. Trace rolled his eyes and smiled.

"Okay, you win." He said, putting his gun in his back pocket. He jumped down from the top of the RV while Sarah and Carlos climbed down via the ladder. "So what do you want to play?"

"We're playing Monkey In The Middle." Carlos said. "I'll stand in the middle." Carlos positioned himself between the two. Sarah picked up a ball.

"You ready?" She asked Trace and Carlos. They both nodded. She threw the ball.

Carlos jumped to grab it but missed, and the ball landed in Trace's grasp. He threw it towards Sarah, who caught it. Sarah threw it again and Trace caught it. Trace threw it, but this time, Carlos managed to jump and grab it, landing with a smile on his face.

"Yes! I got it!" He said.

"Nice job, Carlos." Trace said, clapping.

"Yeah, great catch!" Sarah said. "Now you and Trace switch-AHHHH!" Sarah fell to the ground as a crawling lurker bit into her ankle. She screamed in pain as the lurker continued to rip out the bloody muscle and bone.

"SARAH!" Trace's eyes widened as he pulled out his handgun and shot the lurker in the head, killing it. He ran over and kneeled beside Sarah, holding her body. "Sarah, speak to me!"

"T-Trace…" Sarah gasped for air before she passed out. Trace tried to hold back tears, but he couldn't contain them as they trickled down his face.

"S-Sarah… n-no! N-No no no!" He hugged Sarah's body and cried. Lucas, Rick, and Sachiel appeared.

"I heard the screaming and the gunshot! What happened?!" Lucas asked in shock. His eyes widened when he saw Sarah. He ran over. "Oh no… not my baby girl!" He knelt down beside Trace and stared at Sarah.

"She's been bit…" Trace said, sniffling and wiping away tears.

"Oh no…" Sachiel said, walking over.

"Is she…?" Rick gasped at the sight of her ankle. He slowly reached for his hatchet. Lucas seemed to read his mind.

"Rick, if you're thinking about cutting off her ankle, don't even-" He was interrupted as Trace whirled around, grabbed Rick's hatchet, then proceeded to chop away at her ankle until it was detached from her body.

"What the fuck?!" Lucas looked at Trace angrily.

"It might work!" Trace replied through his tears. "Let's just get her inside the RV."

:::::

Trace sat on his bunk in the back of the RV. The group was on the move again as the RV and the car drove down the road. Rick walked over and sat next to him. His face was red, an obvious sign he had been crying for a while.

"How's she looking?" Rick asked.

"She's not dead…" Trace said. "But she's barely alive."

"I'm sorry this happened." Rick put an arm around Trace.

"It's all my fault." Trace said, tearing up a little and sniffling. "If I kept watch, I would've noticed, and I could've saved her…" He started to cry, then he hugged Rick, who returned the hug. "I don't want to lose her…"

"All the more reason to get to the CDC in Atlanta." Rick said. "Don't worry, she'll be fine. I'm sure of it." Trace nodded and wiped his eyes.

"Yeah, you're right." He said. "…what do you think…"

"Huh?" Rick asked.

"What do you think the CDC will be like?" Trace asked. "I know you said you didn't know before, but…" He stopped for a moment. "My mom heard something on her radio in the night. She told me it was a message from the CDC saying the safe zone was still intact and that all survivors are welcome."

"Well, it sounds pretty safe to me." Rick said. 'Then again…'

"Maybe the doctors there can make a new foot for Sarah." Trace said. "A prosthetic one, I mean."

"Yeah, maybe." Rick said. Then Maria appeared.

"You two better get some rest." She said. "We'll be walking tomorrow."

"Why?" Trace asked.

"The vehicles are almost out of gas." Maria said. "The extra gasoline tanks are empty, so they're completely useless."

"So tomorrow we walk toward the CDC, then." Rick said. "Are we close to it?" Maria nodded, then walked off. Rick turned to Trace who was already asleep. He smiled and fell asleep as well.

A few hours passed and it was early evening. Everyone else was still asleep in their respective vehicles. After a while, Trace stirred in his sleep, hearing a small whirring noise outside. It got louder and louder until it appeared to stop outside the vehicles, and the noise that followed was the screeching of tires. Trace woke up and looked out the window and saw a large truck on the other side of the road. A man in a gray hoodie exited the truck holding something in his hand. Trace's eyes widened.

'Holy shit, a grenade!' He thought. He ran to the couch in the RV and picked up the unconscious Sarah. 'Don't worry, you'll be okay.' He sprinted back over to wake up Rick, who was already awake and looking out the window.

"I heard them fuckers speaking." Rick whispered. "Get everyone up and go out the back."

"Got it." Trace said, sneaking off. Rick got up and snuck out the back and around the RV. He looked around and saw the strangers chatting outside their truck. There were about 5 of them and they all appeared to be men.

"…we just wake 'em up and bring 'em outside. Then you three keep watch while we go in and steal their shit. Then we kill them all and blow up their rides." One of the men said. "Sound good?"

"…I don't know…" Another man said. "Honestly, I don't think killing folks is the best thing to do."

"It's the only thing we can do." The first man said. "How do we know they'll trust us?"

"We don't but we have to at least try." The second man said. "Fine, do what you want. I'm not gonna be a part of this, though."

"…well that's fine then." The first man said. He quickly pulled out a silenced revolver and shot the second man in the head, killing him. The second man's limp body fell to the ground as a pool of blood began to pour out of his head.

'Holy fuck!' Rick thought as his eyes widened. He slowly began to reach for his colt python in his back pocket.

"Now that THAT problem is outta the way…" The first man said. He held his gun up and swung it around at the other men. "Anyone else wanna bail?" The other men shook their heads quickly.

"Let's just kill them already." The third man said quickly.

"…alright then. That's settled-" The first man was cut off as the bullet from Rick's colt python zoomed through his head, blood spluttering out. The gunshot was loud as the man's eyes were wide as he fell to the ground, dead.

"Got ya!" Rick whispered in success. The other men panicky ran behind their truck then pulled out their guns. They began shooting at the RV. Rick was about to shoot again when another gun went off. The bullet from said gun shot into the fourth man's head, killing him and sending his limp body to the ground. Rick looked over to see Trace holding his handgun.

"Let's do this thing." He said. Rick nodded and the two began firing shots rapidly, and it quickly became a firefight. The fourth man jumped out from hiding and began firing, but he missed every shot and ended up with a bullet in his head from Trace. He fell to the ground, dead.

The third man quickly ran to his aid but was shot in the side by Rick. He walked over to finish the job before the fifth man shot towards him, missing his head by an inch. Rick simply held up his colt python and shot the fifth man in the head, then stomped down hard on the third man's head, killing both of them.

"Well, they're all dead." Rick said. "Where's everyone else?"

"I… don't know…" Trace said, looking around. Then, a sixth man jumped out of the car holding two grenades. Before the two could react, the man chucked one into Nick's car and one into the RV, and after a moment, the two vehicles exploded in a fiery and smoky mass of rubble. The two stared in disbelief as the man cheered.

"Ha! They're all dead!" He cheered. "Now what're you gonna do? Huh? Now what-" He was interrupted as a bullet struck the side of his head, killing him. His limp body fell to the ground. Rick and Trace looked over to see Sachiel lowering his gun and the many other survivors behind him. Maria was holding the still uncurious Sarah in her arms, her stump bandages and covered in towels.

"You guys okay?" Sachiel asked.

"Yeah." Rick said.

"Well…it looks like we gotta start walking…" Trace said, staring solemnly at the destroyed vehicles. "…and with all of our supplies gone…"

"Let's not think about that." Pete said. "We're pretty close to the CDC, let's get going."

Then, they all began to walk.

:::::

It had seemingly been hours and hours of walking, roughly three hours. The sun was starting to rise, and the city of Atlanta could be seen on the horizon. The survivors smiled upon noticing the CDC a little closer, although it was still pretty far away from their current location. They began walking again.

"I can't believe that we're almost there…" Trace said.

"It took a while." Rick said. "Maybe they can help Sarah."

"Yeah, maybe…" Trace said. He turned to his parents. "How's she doing?"

"Her pulse is slowly returning and her heart is still beating." Maria said.

"She'll be fine, as far as I can tell." Lucas said.

They walked down the long highway road before stopping on the other side. The CDC itself was right in front of them. They approached the large building quickly. Once they did, they saw movement from within the building. They stopped as the front door slowly opened, and out stepped a man in a doctor's uniform. The man appeared to be in his early 40's and he had flat, dark brown hair. He had on a thin white coat with a doctor ID card on it, tan pants, and black shoes. The man seemed surprised to see them, especially Sarah.

"Um… can I help you?" The man asked as the group quickly approached him.

"Name's Rick. Rick Grimes." Rick said, holding out his hand. The man shook it.

"Doctor Edward Mason." The man said. "Now… is there anything you need?"

"My sister needs help." Trace said, stepping forward. He pointed to Sarah. Edward's eyes widened but he quickly regained his composure.

"Bring her inside." Edward said. "I'll see what me and my wife can do."

**-(End Of Chapter)-**

**Enter the mysterious doctor, Edward Mason! The group arrived at the CDC and met this strange man… what's in store for them?**

**Okay, I better come clean about this… This story isn't what you think it is… well, it is, but originally, this story wasn't supposed to be a Walking Dead story whatsoever. In the early stages, this story was FAR different than what it is now. It was originally a personal novel I was writing called Alone And Forsaken: A Story On Zombie Survival, and would feature all of the characters seen in this story except for Rick Grimes, Shane Walsh, Carl Grimes, or Lori Grimes. The story had a much bigger, more different plot that I won't go into right now, but due to the change in said plot, I had to leave out a few characters. This includes Trace's younger brother, who was originally going to be the main protagonist of the novel, and his girlfriend Dawn, who was going to appear in this story after the change but I cut her for… personal reasons.**

**If you guys have any questions about my previous attempt at writing a novel, you can PM me said questions. Other than that, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, reviews are highly appreciated, and as always…**

**Stay Tuned!**

**~087-B**


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